


Mind Wipe

by Teriel



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angry Steve Rogers, Betrayal, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fainting, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Steve Rogers, Sick Tony, Tony Angst, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 19:08:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20680433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teriel/pseuds/Teriel
Summary: When Steve finds out what the Illuminati erased from his mind, he storms into Tony's workshop in anger. Just a small hurt/comfort fic with the characters in an already established relationship. Author hasn't actually read the comics so sorry for inaccuracies.





	Mind Wipe

Tony hears the swishing of his workshop’s door sliding with a violent thud, the automatic lights switching on to reveal three silhouettes. He removes the half-finished technology by sliding it into the drawer, after a second thought, moving all the papers in there too. Tony inhales sharply with blind panic and squares his shoulders ready to face the music. 

Captain America’s snarling face stared down at him, “TONY!”, his face turned to disbelief, “What have you done?!” The disbelief gave way to the rage he had been holding back and he marched forward, revealing to Tony that the worst had happened. He had remembered the mindwipe. 

Tony stepped back, partly to avoid the expected punch to the face but also froze when his back hit the table with no way out. Steve grabbed Tony by the collar smashing him down onto the table. Tony muffled a grunt of pain at the impact his hands clutching Steve’s hands which had a death grip on his collar, the material choking him. 

Steve brought him up and down again, shouting, “I KNEW, we shouldn’t have trusted you!” The burning rage in his eyes and the words stung, Tony’s heart beating faster. That could also be due to his breathing, which was getting more and more difficult.

“Ste—v-e”, Tony tried to say his name as his hands grappled with Steve’s. However his heart beat faster, his breaths came in heavy pants and the lights diminished around the corners of his vision. And he fainted, unable to cope with the situation.

*****

Tony came to, to the sound of Dummy’s whirring and clacking in the background. He was lying on the table the hardness of it punishing his back. The lights had been dimmed, “Frrigh…” Tony croaked out, his voice breaking. “Friday…” he tried again after clearing his breath but there was no response. He slowly gets up from the table and Captain America’s massive figure hunched over the seating area came into view. He looked defeated his head in his hands, which were clenched in angry helplessness. 

Tony’s heart gave a throb, knowing that he’d done this. It was his fault after all, the final call to Dr Strange had been him. Tony slowly approached the bulky figure cautiously, “Steve…”, he hoarsely whispered, wishing with all his heart there had been another way. 

“You’ve been taken off the Avengers Iron Man,” Steve’s burning gaze found his, “All access to your technologies have also been revoked, including Friday, for our own safety.” Steve tonelessly gave him the verdict.

“Why did you do it Tony?!” Steve’s composure slipped as he lurched to his feet.

“Please….let me explain,” Tony got out past the burning in his throat, “I…we had no other choice! You wouldn’t listen!” Tony leaned dizzily against the wall, a migraine creeping over his head as well as the lack of eating properly catching up with him.

Steve said, “We are supposed to be better than that, we always have a choice! You shouldn’t have taken my goddamn choice away Tony!” Tony could see Steve had been stewing over this for a while now. When exactly did he find out….? 

Tony squawked, “I….you don’t understand! There were no other options Steve!” 

“Do you have any idea what you’ve made us Tony?!” Steve’s eyes burned in the low lighting, “We are murderers who are willing to destroy other Earths for our own survival! You have destroyed this world!” 

Tony’s voice choked, no replies on his tongue, the irritating burn from his throat spread to his eyes. He looked at Steve through watery blue eyes stricken form the truth, unable to escape it. Leaning on the wall like a lifeline, Tony slid down it, until he sat on the floor knees bent, head on his hands. He managed to choke out a, “I know…” 

Before the tears overwhelmed him, he struggled to hold in his sobs, shoulders shaking heavily and breaths coming in gasps. The stress from the past months of hiding his betrayal caught up to him. Tony heard Steve pacing in frustration and scoff at Tony’s display. 

“Why are you of all people crying?? Didn’t you get what you want?” Steve spitefully came to a stop looming over Tony’s hunched pathetic figure. 

“I didn’t want that Ste-ve,” Tony defended himself, his sobs escaped him as he glared up at Steve through wet eyelashes. ‘’We’ve run out of ideas Steve, we couldn’t do it in the end, none of us could… this is it the end of the world.” With that all gates were open as Tony gasped and tried to wipe his tears. 

After a few minutes of awkward silence interrupted by muffled crying, Tony in his attempt to hide evidence of his pathetic display didn’t notice when Steve crouched down and gave him a paper towel he’d grabbed from god knows where. This man was too freaking noble, even in his anger. Tony clutched at it with a muttered thanks and sniffled into the tissue, unable to calm down completely, the tears of regret never-ending. 

He flinched when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder, and a softly muttered, “Oh Tony….you need to calm down soldier.” The last thing Tony felt was calm as his breathing escalated, his body freezing in dismay as a panic attack was triggered from the over stimulation. 

A hand was rubbing his back, “Breathe….come on now….we can’t solve anything like this,” Steve was trying to be gentle as he comforted the mechanic. When that didn’t seem to be working, Steve grasped Tony’s chin, lifting up the gaunt, tear-stricken face full of panic and regret. It was obvious Tony’s decision hadn’t been easy. 

“Tony look at me…” Steve commanded as Tony averted his eyes, “We can solve this. I know it. But you need to breathe and take it one step at a time, no more going behind our backs.” Tony gasped out an agreeing sound before he breathed in and out. Steve’s presence helping him hugely. 

“Come on…” Steve helped him stand and they slowly walked over to the small cot in the side of the workshop, Tony’s coffee mug half empty next to Steve’s old sketchbook. Looking at evidence of their future he’d inevitably destroyed, Tony crumbled on the bed, a feeling of despair overtaking him as he curled up shivering and sobbing. 

Steve had noticed his glance, sighed and climbed in after Tony spooning him and holding him close. The anger was still there but seeing his lover in such a compromising state had put that to the backstage. “Tony…sshh…come on.” 

“I’m s-sorry Ste-ve.” Tony got out, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m sorry!” Steve just sighed and held him close whilst softly shushing him. They first had to get this out of Tony’s system before they could go back to figuring out how to stop the incursions. However even after a while, Tony kept muttering as if delirious, “Please….stay…..don’t leave me…” He mumbled with his teary eyes closed moaning in pain. 

Steve at this point sufficiently worried, placed his hand on Tony’s burning sweaty forehead, cluing him onto how sick this workaholic man was. He had worked himself into a sick state from all of the worrying and not asking for help. “Friday call Dr Banner down here, we need some fever medicine,” Steve sighed as they waited for the doctor. 

They have a long way to go if…..no…..once they survive these incursions. Steve tightened his protective arms carefully around Tony in determination.


End file.
